Saturday, March 1, 2008

So I'm finishing up a series of 3 paintings of cherry blossoms right now - The first one I had started last year and put aside unfinished- the other two fresh but from the same series of reference photos. What I really like about them is how "painterly" they are, kind of realist-ish, graphic outlines but realistic/impressionistic treatment of details.

What I don't like is that they are just what they are - pretty paintings of pretty flowers - but maybe that is enough no? To just be what you are?

But what flowers are is something completely different then what we humans take them for. They are absolutely built for sex - and the seduction of pollinators - I would love it if my art could speak of the tawdriness of flowers - they are complete sluts really! I guess that's what led to the sexual readings of Georgia O'keeffe's work - you can't get away from what flowers really are.

Anyway my thought for these was to be in a series of plant life in the four seasons - as stand ins for humans and a reminder that there are always spring blooms waiting during the harshest barren winter. The decaying dead leaves are the stuff of which verdant life emanates.

One final thought - Acrylic is soooooo not the thing to paint cherry blossoms with - may feel the need to do some watercolo(u)rs to do justice to the translucency of the petals.